The Dark Aura
by LoreTrainer
Summary: Will finally has the chance to take on his dream, the Pokemon League Challenge, after he meets a Pokemon in the night. However, as he journeys on, he will discover a secret that will force him, his team and friends to fight an unknown curse. One that has been kept from all of humankind. *Warning* Contains violence, language and mild-gore.
1. A Meeting in the Night

**Hey...Well, this is my 1st story ever...took me a while to overcome my inner critic and get my story idea to paper. Though this is not my 1st written work, that goes to my Realistic Pokemon World work, that describes this world's, and the world the rest of my stories will be in. I hope you enjoy the read, been imagining this story for several months now...*sigh*...*wince*...Here we go!**

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><p>*actionssounds*, "talking", '_thoughts_'

Obligatory "I don't own Pokemon, only my OC's"

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><p><strong>Will<strong>

*click*...*click*

Will was lying across the couch, flipping through channels on the wall-tv late into the evening...bored again. Channel after channel scrolled by, a documentary of Unova, his home region, a crime drama with a detective and his Luxray, some cartoons...he paused at a nature channel. There was a repeat of an episode about the wildlife and the Pokemon Rangers of Route 7...his home and his parents were on the screen.

"...Well it's better than what else is on right now," he said to the large, empty cabin.

Will watched as the episode played on for a few minutes, watching the familiar scenery of Route 7, were he has lived for his entire life. The 2 Pokemon Rangers of Route 7, his mother and father, in the Rangers' iconic red uniform, led the tv crew around the deeply wooded areas off the already forest covered main road. He saw the Pokemon on the route that he has seen for his entire life, though few winter Pokemon that moved to the route during the colder months were there too. They would be returning to Twist Mountain when the weather began to warm, like it was presently. Will sat up for a second when a large cabin, his home with his family on Route 7, appeared on the screen, and he saw him 12-year old self in between his proud, Pokemon Ranger parents.

"That feels like so long ago," he mumbled to himself.

The episode was close to 5 years old, yet Will remembered the days well when the film crew came to do the documentary and stayed in the families cabin for the several days of filming. He remembered feeling excited and filled with energy, seeing new people who lived outside of the route, journeying all around the Unova region, even the world . As long as he could reach back, he wanted to leave the route and travel around the region, particularly while taking on the Pokemon League Challenge. Last year he turned 16, old enough to finally take on the challenge...but he didn't go.

Sure he was ready, old enough, and had plenty of knowledge on Pokemon and surviving. His parents taught him all that, better than any school most cities could have done. But there were 2 things he didn't have, a starting Pokemon and the support of his parents. Will had grown up surrounded by the Pokemon of Route 7, and he could surely catch any one of them with the small stock of Pokeballs his family kept in the cabin for travelers through the route, but none of the Pokemon here stood out to him. Seeing them year after year of his entire life, Will had gotten...bored of them. He wanted to catch a Pokemon he had never seen on the route before, possibly a nomadic natured Pokemon making its way around the region, or going off to a nearby city or route, but then he ran into his next problem.

Being his parents' only child, his parents kept him close and loved him dearly. '_Maybe too dearly_,' Will thought. Seeing his talent working alongside them, they planned early to make him into a Pokemon Ranger like themselves, one day taking over Route 7, 'Like some kind of inheritance, heh.' He could almost understand why they wanted to keep him so close, only visiting Mistralton and Iciruss City rarely, staying together as a family on Route 7 as the only Pokemon Rangers. '_Ah, whatever...I am their only son, guess I can cut them some slack with their visions of me. Although, I need to decide my own life...but I don't want to disappoint my only family..._' Will's mom and dad was all he ever knew, grandparents dead, no cousins, aunts or uncles. The only friend he had was a random Patrat he found years ago that eventually went on with its life, and a few people he talked to for a few days at the cities.

*thump*

Will threw his head against the couch, '_Sure they are overprotective, and maybe a bit restricting, but they are all I know...and I need their approval!_' The most recent thing he tried to expand his life and even try to get a relatively unknown Pokemon to start with for the League Challenge, he didn't want any Pokemon on Route 7, and had no other relatives to give him a young Pokemon as a gift, so he wanted to go on a week long camping trip to Mistralton City and a bit into the Route to Driftveil City. However, he was just met with a simple, "No, we'll talk when we get back," from his parents. They had to make a supply trip to Mistralton and, as usual, Will was left watching the cabin.

"Well...it could be worst..." Will said out loud, almost wanting to test fate.

This trip may have been his last chance to get a good Pokemon, and maybe even prove his parents what he could, and maybe needed to do. The Pokemon League Challenge would begin in less than 2 weeks, right before the start of spring, and Will had nothing to show that he was ready. Little money, no support from his parents, no Pokemon he felt that he needed to start with, and still no way he was going to use a common Pokemon on Route 7, Will felt like giving up for another year.

*Boom*

Will jumped slightly at the sound of thunder, and took a quick peek out the front windows, to the now dark and flashing sky, strong winds beginning to whip the trees. He turned back and flipped to the weather channel, the ever so annoying Castform smiling on the radar showed a storm approaching before turning into its frowning rain form. 'Sigh', Will thought before switching to another channel, he didn't want to relive happy memories watching the nature documentary when he failed his dream again.

Will scrolled quickly threw the channels, before suddenly standing up and tuning back to a battle channel. He saw a rerun of the end of a League Challenge from 2 years ago, the final trainer battling the new Champion Iris. His heart pounded when he saw the scene again, the trainer's already tired Noivern versing Iris' Hydreigon. Iris told her Pokemon to finish the Noivern off with a Draco Meteor, the Noivern, already weakened, couldn't move out of the way, and took the full blast of the super-effective Dragon attack. However, this was the scene that everyone knew of, when the Noivern endured the hit, many say out of love for its trainer, and was able to return with a Dragon Pulse, taking its foe out. Though the Noivern was able to defeat the Hydreigon, Iris still had 2 other Pokemon, and the Noivern quickly went down. Though it was still a defeat, everyone talked about how the Noivern endured a crushing blow from one of Iris' strongest Pokemon, and it was this that finally pushed Will to take on the Challenge no matter what.

*Ringing*

Will's Xtransceiver began to ring, and he saw his mother's image on the phone. Seeing it was a text, he opened it and read aloud,

"'Will, storm comin in, goin 2 wait til 2morrow 2 come back. Stayin at Pkmn Center. Make sure 2 check trash bins 2 stop scavengers. Mom XO.'...Really Mom? Why do you have to abbreviate like this?...Well, it's beginning to pour anyway, might as well get this done."

They had to deal with scavenging Pokemon before, the anti-Pokemon proof bins did help, but if they blew around unsecured, and if someone forgot to close it, '_It was only that one time Will...try to forget about it_,' best to check them to make sure. Will threw on some boots, a rain coat, and thew the door open with a crash to quickly get his chore done.

Will knew it was a strong storm, and that it was near the end of winter, yet it still felt like he was being Tackled by the wind and being hit by a barrage of Icicle Spears of rain, and it threw him off for a second. His medium length dark brown hair beginning to whip in the wind, Will covered his face. He went down the steps, leaving the partial safety of the porch roof, and quickly looked at the trash bins. To his disappointment, he saw them knocked over, and surprisingly, one opened with some trash thrown around. '_It must of been some wind to throw that open_,' Will thought, '_Might as well just close it, no way I'm going to get the trash blowing around in this storm...Crap, why did this happen no-..._'

"What the-? No way..." Will whispered to, what he hoped was, himself.

The one trash bin wasn't opened by the storm, evident by the claw marks etched into the tough light metal of the bin. The only Pokemon in the area that could do such damage would be a large bird Pokemon of prey, or even a Beartic or other large Pokemon with claws. But he could tell this was recent, evident by the trash still being in a pile by the bin, and no Pokemon in its right mind would be out in this storm. Only a Pokemon really desperate for food would not only get near a human cabin, but do so in such dangerous weather. Realizing he was not only still in the storm, but possibly being watched by a starving Pokemon, with large claws no less, Will made a run to the cabin entrance. 'Stop thinking and worrying and just get inside Will!' He yelled at himself, he must of spent several minutes outside, gaping at the trash bins. 'The cabin should be safe enough, windows are small enough and the door should be strong enou-'

"You got to be kidding me...no...no way," Will said in another strangled whisper.

He walked towards a semi-open door, which he sure he closed on his way out, to see the wall-tv still on, the fireplace beneath it still crackling, and large, non-human wet footprints on the carpet, making their way to one of the entrances of the kitchen, near the stairs that go up to the second floor. '_Ok think Will, think. You are inside with a possibly dangerous, hungry Pokemon. With claws...yes sharp claws. Oh yeah, it can open doors too...anything else to add pessimistic mind? Well, can't go outside, bad storm, can't call for help, the signal is messed up by the bad storm, and all that ends up being stuck in a house with a Pokemon that may kill, if not seriously injure me because of a bad-freaking-storm!_'

Will slowly closed the door behind him, careful not to make a sound, and started to slide his boots across the carpet, trying to make his way silently to the stairs. He kept a single Pokeball in his room that he swiped from the storage in the kitchen, glad he thought of that. He put his first foot on the step, trying to recall which one was the creaky step, when he caught a glimpse of a large, dark shadow moving to the right, further in the kitchen. '_Great...just great...hm?!_'

A large clap of thunder rocked the cabin, and quickly taking his chance, Will scrambled up the stairs and into the dark hallway of the second floor. Not wanting to turn on any lights to alarm the wild Pokemon, he slid his hand along the wall until he reached the second door on the left, his room. He carefully opened the his bedside drawer, and took out the single, red and white Pokeball. '_Sigh...I only got one chance at this...and I could either be dead, horribly injured, eaten, or catch this Pokemo-...wait a sec, this may be my chance! Wait, stop! Am I really thinking of the League Challenge when I may die?...Well, I blame my dreams, here goes nothing!_'

Will slowly made his way down the stairs, using the thunder to again cover his footsteps, and made his way to the doorway that the Pokemon first entered. He peeked over the counter at the edge of the doorway, and caught the Pokemon with its back towards him. His eyes bugged wide with the Pokemon he saw. It was bipedal, had a large red mane, with a strange band made the hair into a ponytail like design. The parts of the body he saw was gray and black, and when reached out its left paw, he saw small, red claws. 'The same that ripped into the trash bins,' Will thought. It began to turn its body, and he ducked back into cover, but not before seeing its face, '_Or muzzle?_' he thought. He hoped it didn't see him, but he didn't hear any footsteps. He tried to imagine it in his mind, '_Red, ponytail like mane, gray/black body, pointed face/muzzle? What Pokemon is that?! Com on, remember your lessons...wait no, legends...Isn't this that rare, illusion Pokemon, native to Kalos?! It starts with a Z right? Zar...Zoro..._'

"Zoroark...!" Will couldn't help but whisper out loud, but then quickly covering his mouth, stealing another quick glance to make sure the Dark type didn't hear him. But then he had to check again to make sure what he was seeing was right.

The Zoroark had put a pile of food on the counter near the sink behind it, and was going through the fridge in a surprisingly calm manner, as if it had done this before, and it almost looked like it was going to sit down and eat a meal. '_A big one though_,' Will thought, '_that is a large amount of food_.' The Zoroark turned away to the right, and opened the wall-sized pantry, and began to rifle and through more food behind it, adding to the already large pile of food. It took out a bag of special brand of PokeChow, sniffed it eagerly, and ripped it open, spilling some of the contents on the tile floor. The Zororak stuff its face into the bag, and began to eagerly eat.

'_Dang it. I hope Gruff won't blame me for his food being eaten. Don't want to be Tackled by that Stoutland again..._' Will thought to himself, and started to make his way across the room, in front of the still on tv and towards the second entrance to the kitchen, near the large dinner table. '_Come on, I have to do something, but what! No doubt that Pokemon is average, if not stronger in power...though it did look fairly skinny. And the way it went through the foo-...well most of the food. It was like the Zoroark had been in a human household before, even using human appliances! Most wild Pokemon would just crash through and start making a mess of the food in front of them...what's going on?! Is this a trainer's Pokemon, cause if so I may be screwed...But why would a trainer keep their Pokemon in such poor health, and where are they? Forget that, I'm still going to try and catch this Pokemon! I'll deal with what comes next if it comes to it..._' Will said to himself as he formed a plan.

'_Ok let's see, even if this Zoroark is weak from hunger, I doubt that this Pokeball will catch it no problem. Also, if I don't catch it, I'll need to chase it out...Ah! There!_' Will thought, as he passed the fireplace. He grabbed the fire poker, paused, and held it in the flames for a short amount of time. _'I don't want to really hurt this Pokemon, even if I don't catch it, I don't want it to be hating me for seriously burning it...There! That should be enough to weaken, if not chase the Zoroark out!_' Will grasped the now heated poker in his right hand, and clutched the Pokeball in his left, as he made his way to the right entrance to the kitchen, hoping the Pokemon was still distracted by the food. He started to turn towards the doorway, before suddenly slamming his head against the wall, suddenly gripped by fear.

'_I can't do this, I could die!...But if I do nothing, I could still die...Crap! Why me, why now?! Who cares about the possibly pay off, even if I get a rare, stronger Pokemon than most starter trainers, it may not even accept me!...Come on Will...come on! Deal with it when you the problem comes to you! Ok...alright...on three!...One...two...thre-!_'

Will turned to rush into the kitchen, put one foot through the doorway, poker blazing, when he stopped in his tracks. The Zoroark was facing him, and not only that, had a smug look on its face, as if to say, "Really?" What was also surprising was the appearance of the Pokemon, it was tall, almost reaching Will's height of 5'11, and despite looking skinny and starving, it had an almost curved, yet slightly muscled frame. Will began to silently curse, as the Pokemon took a step towards him, sniffing, and eyeing him in a curious, yet predatory manner. In a panic, Will swung the cooling, yet still hot poker at the Pokemon. The Zoroark quickly blocked the poker with its forearm, but did not seem to know it was hot at first, evident when its eyes went wide and it let out a bark/growl in pain. Will felt a surge of hope, '_I can do this, I burned it!_' he said to himself.

However, that hope was short lived, as the Zoroark grabbed near the handle of the poker, its fur brushing against Will's hand, it twisted and with a strong pull, wretched the weapon from Will's grasp. The Pokemon threw the poker behind it in obvious pain and anger, and glared at Will, suddenly changing to a small appearance of surprise and worry when it spied the Pokeball in Will's left hand. Will, suddenly remembering what he planned, and in a panic, stepped back and threw the Pokeball...which went wide, past the Zoroark, and went into the open pantry behind the Pokemon. Will was, unfortunately, right-handed.

The Zoroark looked behind itself, then back at Will. '_Well this is it, I'm dead_,' Will thought, '_who knew this is how I would go_.' Will stepped back and began to wince, waiting for the inevitable attack that will, hopefully, give him a swift end. However, Will did not expect what came next...

"I would call that the most pathetic attempt of capturing a Pokemon, expect for the fact that you were able to get one strike to injure me. Then again, that throw was probably the worst in all history," the Zoroark commented, with a snide look on its face, "I would expect better from a want-a-be trainer."

Will was so thrown off, he didn't know how to respond. '_Wait, its talking...to me? How...and why...? It sounds feminine, so I guess its...she is a female. Fits with her frame, I guess. It doesn't sound like she's talking out loud...but I'm hearing it in my head...so does that mean she can...! Hey wait a sec!_'

"What do you mean 'expect better from a wanna-be-trainer'?! Last I checked, how can I focus when I'm about to be eaten by a Pokemon?! Plus, I'm also right-handed!" Will shouted in a sudden outburst of annoyance and anger.

The same smug, "really?" face appeared on the Zoroark, with a grin that revealed some teeth, "You really thought I would eat you? Sure I may have pinned you after you struck me, but after that throw...hah!" She threw back her head, her mane flowing behind her, "You are one...interesting human. Ridiculous and pathetic yes...but also interesting."

Anger began growing in Will, forgetting all about the strong, still potentially dangerous Pokemon in front of him, "What do you mean by-...gah!" Will threw up his hands in annoyance, "I oughta...just...get out of here you stupid mutt of a Pokemon!"

The Zoroark's face changed to anger, and despite her weakened state, she grasped Will with her right paw and threw him against the doorway, then pinned him there with her forepaw against his upper chest, her face close to his. "Never...call...me...a...mutt," She growled, almost spitting the words into Will's head.

Will, suddenly finding himself in a bad situation, tried to process what was going on around him. With his anger and annoyance suddenly gone, in place a little of the fear from before, he began to focus on some details. "Uh...ok...wait a sec!" Will stammered, "Sorry about that! Just...annoyed by what you said...Speaking of which, the way you are talking to me, from what it...sounds like...I guess you can talk through...what's it called...telepathy?"

The Zoroark's eyes narrowed, and she slowly released Will, "Hmph...Yes that is what you humans call it. Something any Pokemon can learn, but only through a lot training, or in my case something I grasped so easily, it's like I was born with it." A prideful look entered her eyes, and it looked like she wanted to say something else, but she winced and clutched the burn on her left forearm.

Will, unsure of what to do or say next, stammers, "Uh...yeah...sorry about that. You kind of startled me..."

The Zoroark looked up from her forearm at Will, eyeing him, "You obviously heated that weapon in order to attack me, so are you really sorry for that?"

Gulping, still trying to figure out what to say next, "Well...uh, you did break into my families' cabin, so what was I suppose to do? Let you eat all my parents' Pokemon's food...and my own? Also, judging by the way to talk, and how you used the appliances and stacked the food, I'm guessing you are not a wild Pokemon?" Will still hoped this conversation was enough to keep the Zoroark from attacking him.

The Zoroark looked at him intently again, then pushed past him to the pile of food she stacked earlier. Grabbing the bag of PokeChow she tore open earlier, taking a handful...or pawful...in her paw, she began to munch on the food while seemingly thinking intently. "I did break into your cabin yes...though at the moment I did not consider anyone to be here after I saw the other humans leaving earlier. I would argue that starving is a good reason enough, surviving in the wild was a bit more...difficult than I thought it would be."

Will wanted to stop her from eating Gruff's food, but he knew better to not get between a starving Pokemon and its food, wild or not. "So you did have a trainer then, what happened?" he asked, "Did he release you, did you run away because he, or she, was treating you badly, or...?" Will waited for an answer.

A flash of something crossed the Zoroark's face and in her eyes, though it so quick, Will couldn't perceive what it was. She then answered with, "I did leave my trainer, though I don't trust you enough to give you my whole story. You are, after all, the owner of the cabin I broke into, as well as who I'm technically stealing from at the moment." The Pokemon put the bag down, and tore open a bag of meat.

'_Well, at least she stopped eating Gruff's food,_' Will thought. "My parents are Pokemon Rangers for this route, so they, as well as I, sometimes take in and heal severely injured Pokemon. Though you are doing so in a more...up front manner, but if we clean this up, and if I can hear your story, I can help you out. Speaking of..."

Will turned and walked to the end of the kitchen, towards a large, wall-sized glass case built into the wall. He opened the door, and reached into the chilled air and took out a small spray bottle. He turned to the Zoroark and motioned her to come closer as he opened a smaller cabinet and took out a small bandage. "Yeah, sorry for burning you with the poker earlier, here, this should help fix you up."

The Zoroarks' eyes narrowed, but she went to Will and help out her left forepaw. "If you try anything..." she warned.

"Relax! If anything I should be worried about you attacking me." Will said, "Also, this Burn Heal may sting a bit."

Will sprayed part of the Burn Heal on the wound, causing the Zoroark to flinch. He then put the small bandage on her forepaw, but spied another wound, one not inflicted by himself. It was a scar, not to large, where her forepaw and elbow met. "Is that a scar? Here, a Potion could help with that." Will put the partially used Burn Heal back and reached for a Potion.

"No," replied the Zoroark, "That is an older wound, and I doubt that fast acting medicine for early healing will do anything."

Will looked back at the Pokemon and closed the door to the medicine. "You sure do know a lot about human objects."

"Well, I should, since I belonged to a trainer for some time."

Will nodded, and gestured to the pile of food on the counter while walking over to it. "You can still have some of the food, but you have to help me clean up this mess."

"...Fine." The Zoroark said in an almost sarcastic manner.

Working together, both cleaned up the food and the mess in the kitchen. Will also put the now cool poker back, and the Pokeball in the trainer supply cabinet from which he got it from. He then gestured for the Zoroark to follow him into the main room. "I'm sure you've had your fill by now, with all that PokeChow and meat. I'm exhausted from all the times I felt like I was going to die and the stress, so I'm going to turn in." Will glanced at the clock next to the wall-tv, and was surprised that it was later than he thought it was.

"I'm sure it would be ok for you to sleep in this roo-" Will said before being cut of by a blur of fur as the Zoroark jumped onto the couch and curled up in a dark and red colored ball.

"Couch is mine," stated the Zoroark.

"Uh, ok then," Will responded as he sat down in a lounge chair, "guess I'll sleep here."

"Your not sleeping upstairs?"

"Nope," Will shook his head, "Don't trust you enough to leave you down here all alone. And trust me, I'll wake up if you try to sneak your way into the kitchen."

The Zoroark gave him another toothy grin, "First off, never underestimate the skill of a Zoroark. Second, aren't you worried the big bad Dark type will eat you in your sleep?"

Will gave the Pokemon a small grin, "No, I trust you enough, and didn't you say the worst you'd do was pin me down?" 'At least that's what I hope you said,' Will thought.

"Hmph," the Zoroark grunted, and curled up again.

"Oh well, let's hope we can sleep through this storm. Think the weather channel predicted it to slow down sometime tomorrow morning. Alright then," Will got up and grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch, "I'll need this more than you, being furless on a cold, stormy night" Will laid back on the lounge chair and covered himself with the blanket. "Well, 'night...wait, what's your name, if you have one anyways?"

The Zoroark lifted her head again, and stared at him with, surprisingly, soft eyes, 'Well, softer than what I've seen so far,' Will thought.

"My name is Luna."

"Well, Luna, I'm Will...'night then."

Luna put her head down again, and Will laid his head back, both waiting for sleep as the storm raged on outside.

*Boom*

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><p><strong>*Facepalms self repeatedly" Why did I do this, I'm not ready, it's too long for a 1st chapter...gah! Oh well, I've been thinking of this for months now, and sure I've dreamed of this, though it doesn't mean I'm not nervous about how you the reader will like my work. Even with that, I want any comments you have on my 1st story. I don't have a set schedule yet, but I want to release my chapters as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed the 1st chapter of my 1st story, The Dark Aura!<strong>


	2. The Decision

**Well...seems like everything is going ok so far. Sorry this took a while, but it's here now! Hope you are enjoying everything so far! Thanks for all the great reviews!  
><strong>

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><p>"speech" '<em>thoughts<em>' *actions/sounds*

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><p><strong>Luna<strong>

The Zoroark's eyes opened swiftly, taking in her surrounding. When she remembered where she was and what happened, Luna relaxed a little, putting her head back on the couch. '_Best sleep I've had in a while..._' she thought to herself, and stared out the window, rain still falling, though not as heavy as when she went to sleep. 'And a lot better than being out there.' Luna stared at a wall-clock, '_Now how do you read those again..._', she guessed it was sometime before, or close to dawn.

Luna looked over at the human that helped her, well, after they attacked each other anyways, and saw that he was in a deep sleep. '_As I thought, no way he'll be able to hear me.'_ She got up and headed towards the door to the kitchen, passing Will, but stopped at a small table with several pictures on it. Luna picked up one, a group picture, with Will, 2 other humans, '_Probably his parents_', along with a Stoutland and a Swanna. Judging by where the Pokemon were positioned in the picture, they probably belonged to Will's parents. '_So he has no Pokemon of his own? Guess that's why he tried to capture me, even though I could have easily broke free and gone after him. Was he either courageous or stupid...Whatever._' She looked at the picture closely, gathering in details of the Pokemon in the picture, '_I have to try again...I have to be able to...otherwise...I am no Zoroark...just a Pokemon mutt_,' Luna shivered, recalling what she had been called, and what Will called her in the heat of their meeting. She glanced towards the still sleeping human, then started.

Luna shut her eyes and began to focus, putting the image of the Stoutland in her mind. She opened her eyes to see small bright and dark purple lights begin to surround her, '_Yes! It's working! Slower than others, but working!_' She saw her fur begin to change color, and started to see her overall body in 3rd person as it shrunk to fit the size of the Stoutland. Suddenly, the illusion broke with a small explosion of purple light, '_Wha-no! Damn it!_' She let out a soft, verbal growl, '_I am not a mutt! I am a Zoroark!_' Luna focused again, trying to channel her anger into making the illusion, and after a flurry of purple light, she glanced down and saw the image of a Stoutland surrounding her lower half, her upper half invisible. '_I did it...I did it! This means-!_'

*Crash*

Luna's silent celebration was broken as she dropped the photo, the glass and part of the frame breaking. She stood completely still, the Stoutland illusion intact, then slowly turned towards Will's moving form on the chair. '_Damn it, damn it! If I get thrown out because of this...!_' Will lifted his head, his eyes barely open.

"Uuuuhhh...Gruff? Some wild Pokemon broke in and ate a ton of your food. Don't worry, I defended it to my last breath...zzzzzzz," Will mumbled, before falling asleep again, returning to the Dream World.

Luna stared at him, unsure of how to respond to what she just saw. The illusion shattered around her and she began to chuckle to herself out loud, "Hah...hahahah! And he said he would hear me if I tried to sneak into the kitchen! Jeez, he's just like-" Luna stopped, her eyes growing wide. '_I was going to say his name...after over a year...No!...But...rrrr!_' Frustrated, but still thinking intently, Luna tried to clean up the mess and put everything as she found it, before returning back to the sofa.

'_Might as well settle this when Will wakes up...That was the first time I've laughed in who knows how long...I've forgotten what it's like living with a human, a trainer no less. Well, not exactly a full-fledged trainer, but still...It feels good to be back...Hah! Listen to me, already thinking I'm back with a trainer! Jeez, what's going on with me, did he put something else on this burn?_' Luna thought to herself, rubbing her bandaged wound, 'This is too much to think about, things are happening to fast...hmph.' Luna curled up to sleep once more, _'Let's see if I wake up before him again.'_

*Few hours later*

"...Hmmm?" Luna looked up, drowsy, sniffing the air, "Is that...heh, another thing I haven't experienced in a year, smelling breakfast in the morning." Luna tried to figure out the smell, before Will walked in, a plate of food in his hand. '_Guess he won this time, it's a tie_.' she thought, before speaking, "What is that, smells good..."

Will smiled, replying, "Scrambled Pokemon eggs from a PokeFarm, you ever had these before, or did you just have PokeChow?" He started to eat.

"My trainer gave me most of the food I wanted, including that." Luna said, greedily looking at the plate of food Will was holding.

Will looked down at the eggs, back up at the Zoroark, and setting the plate down on the arm of the chair. "I'll get another plate, or did you use a bowl?" He asked while standing up, heading towards the kitchen.

"Plate sometimes, I am a bit civilized you know," Luna replied, glancing between the now alone plate of eggs and the now empty doorway to the kitchen.

"Well, you told me next to nothing about yourself, so what am I to think? Also, that's a thing I wanted to talk about, your story. I, as well as my parents, want to know what happened, whether you ran from your trainer, or if they released you. If there was some incident, we need to know about it, we can help." Will said, "Oh yeah, can you use utensils?...Well with those claws it may be tough," Will began to walk back into the main room, "Do you also want some PokeChow? Can't give you anymore of Gruff's, he would Take Down me all the way to the city. Here's your eg-Hey!" Will shouted.

Luna glanced up from licking the now clean plate she was holding between her paws, "What? For a child of Pokemon Rangers, you sure don't know any better about leaving a plate of food alone with a Pokemon."

"I thought you said your were a bit civilized."

"Whatever, it's my nature, your loss. You gonna eat that?" She gestured towards the full plate of scrambled Pokemon eggs Will was holding.

Will looked down at the plate, sighed, then set it down on the arm of the couch, and sat down on the chair next to the couch, "Here, eat away, if it will get you to talk about what happened."

Luna began to eagerly dig into the breakfast, eating about half the plate before starting to speak. *munch* "Fine, I'll tell you a few things about what happened and how I ended up here." *munch* "Only if I can get some more food."

Sighing again, Will got up and went back into the kitchen, taking the now 2 empty plates with him. He returned with a bowl of PokeChow, and handed it to Luna. "There, now if you would begin...?" He said as Zoroark began to take bites of the food, glancing up at him, "...Please?"

Luna gave him a sly grin, "Since you asked so nicely..." She took a few more bites before setting the bowl aside and taking a deep breath in.

"My trainer was the first thing I ever saw when I hatched. From what I heard from him, I was a gift from some important breeders that were relatives."

"Ok, so your trainer is a guy."

Luna paused and scowled at Will.

"Sorry, sorry, continue."

"Ok. I grew up with my trainer, and like most kids in this world, he dreamt about taking on the Pokemon League Challenge, and I soon followed. Lots of Pokemon dream of being one of, if not the strongest Pokemon in the region. However, during that journey, before we were halfway through, I went to live in the wild," Will opened his mouth to say something, but Luna cut him off with a wave of her arm, "No, I'm not going to say what happened, all you need to know is that I went to live in the wild."

Will shrugged, "It would help a lot to know, and my parents will want to know too, but continue for now."

Luna gave a small nod and continued, "Let's just say I was not exactly...in my right mind when I began to survive in the wild. And when my head did clear, I found it, more difficult to live in the wild than I thought."

Will nodded, "Not unheard of from Pokemon that lived with a trainer for some time before being released or returning to the wild," Another scowl from Luna, "Sorry, sorry."

"As I was saying, I had a rougher time living in the wild than I thought I would have, being a Zoroark and all. There was also the possibility of getting captured again if I went near a city, and during that time I wanted to avoid that, so I stuck to the wilderness of the Unova region. I then barely survived a year of living out in the wild when I decided that I just needed to get near humans again."

"Wow, an entire year in the wilderness with no human interaction after growing up with a trainer. Can not imagine tha-!" Will was cut off by being suddenly pinned against the chair he was sitting in by Luna. His eyes widened as he tried to process just how fast the Zoroark moved, despite still being fairly weak. "Ah! Uhh...sorry! Won't happen again, swear it!"

_'Does this human know any manners? And I came from living in the wild!'_ Luna thought, "Fine then, though I expect you to keep to that," she growled at Will, releasing him to sit back down on the couch, taking a pawful of PokeChow too. *munch* "After some time, I stumbled upon your cabin. It was still afternoon, and I saw 2 humans, your parents, leave on those...what do you call them again, bikes? Anyways, I was starving, the possible food in the cabin not only attracting to me, but also, I'm ashamed to say, the scraps as well. However, I did not know when they would possibly return, and since I would work better off in the dark, I waited for night. As the storm began to blow in, and my hunger grew with food right in front me, I went straight for the scrap bins. I even weathered that storm just to try and find something to eat. Then I heard the door crash open. I thought 2 things, 1, someone else was home, and 2, this was a quick and easy way into the cabin. So while you stood gaping at the mess I left, I sneaked my way in, found the kitchen, and started to eat. Then you came in. By the way, any Pokemon could have heard you, especially when you hit your head against the wall and breathing louder than an Exploud. And so, you know the rest of what happened, and here I am."

Will looked like he wanted to say something, squirming in his seat, but didn't speak.

Luna rolled her eyes, '_Idiot, or does he really fear me that much?_', She then said aloud, "Yes, you can speak now."

"Ok then Luna," The Zoroark gave a small twitch, 'This is the first time someone has said my name in so long...or was it last night? Was so tired, can't remember.' But Luna continued to listen.

"If you really don't want to tell me what happened, I won't make you. All I'm saying is that my parents and I can help. There are some other things to discuss, regarding your health and story, but before any of that, I have a question to ask you. What do you plan to do next?"

Luna was caught off guard, '_Ok, was not expecting this...though I know it would've come eventually_,' she replied, "Right now, I don't know, maybe I could stay here a bit while I get back on track," Giving Will a lazy grin, curling up on the couch and taking another pawful of food. *munch* "Been a while since I've been with humans, but it's great!"

"Well than, maybe I can help you out with that choice." Luna's ears perked up as he continued, "I also have that dream to take on the Pokemon League Challenge, but I have no Pokemon of my own."

"Well, you live on a route filled with Pokemon, wouldn't think it would be that hard to go out and catch one, or do you really throw Pokeballs that terribly?" Luna said, shooting him another sly grin.

Will scowled, "So that's how it feels to be interrupted, and no, I'm not that bad. Like I said last night, I'm right handed." He continued, "Listen, I have grown up on this route, surrounded by pretty much the same Pokemon my entire life. Don't know if you would understand, but I wanted something I never seen, something new and different with me while I and a team take on the Challenge."

"So that's what I am huh? A powerful Rare Candy your eyes have taken to?"

"No, nothing like that," Will replied, "Sure you are a Pokemon stronger than what most trainers start off with, and you are something different, which is what I'm looking for, but like I said, it's your choice. I planned on taking a trip to another part of region to find another Pokemon, but if you really want to stay with humans, and finish what you dreamed of with a different trainer, you could always join with me and make a team to take on the League."

Luna looked down, _'Another chance? Let's see, what could go wrong? Don't have to go back to the wild, plenty of food, company, and the League...Also, IT'S gone...heh, why not?!'_

"I'll give you some time to think about it, til my parents come back from-"

"Deal!" Luna said, giving an almost psychotic grin, "I, Luna, shall be your first Pokemon that starts your team!"

Will looked a bit shocked, "Uhh, you sure? I mean, yeah, happy that you want to join, but so quickly?"

Luna gave him another scowl, "So you don't want me to help you? Wow you are weird, and I've met some weird humans. If that's what you want-"

"No no! I couldn't be happier with you joining me, just didn't expect you to agree right away. And hey! I'm not weird! Would you stop poking fun at me!" Will shot at the Zoroark.

"Hahahaha! Oh, I'm going to love traveling with you Will! Now go ahead and grab a Pokeball and capture me, or are you going to miss again while I'm standing still for a second time?" Luna couldn't have looked more amused, the sly grin wide on her face.

"Will you let that go! Jeez! I'll be right back... oh yeah, you still have to answer for that picture you broke, did you really think I wouldn't notice the mess you left?" Will said, before walking into the kitchen to grab a Pokeball from storage.

"Dammit, thought he wouldn't notice," Luna said under her breath but shrugged, '_Heh, oh yes this will be fun! Feels just like when I started my adventure as a Zorua with-'_ Luna's mood suddenly went dark, '_No, I will forget about that, I will forget everything that happened. It won't happen again, this is my new life, my second chance!...Arceus please let this be ok...please._'

Luna looked up to see Will returning with the red and white Pokeball in hand. "This should work, if your trainer released you, it'll be no problem. Ok ready?"

Luna suddenly began to panicked, '_Shit! Did he release me?! I never saw...damn it!_' But Luna did her best not to show it as she responded, "Ready...don't miss," in an attempt to hide her panicking mind, a sly, almost unnoticeable nervous look on her muzzle.

Will, for once, grinned back at her fun-poking remark, "Don't worry, I won't this time. Here's goes nothing Luna!"

As his arm tossed the Pokeball into the air towards Luna, she thought, '_I could easily move out of the way and just make fun of him more...nah! I know when enough is enough!_' The Zoroark let the ball bounce off her, and let it transfer her in, only giving enough resistance for one shake, 'Just to make him a bit nervous about wasting a Pokeball.' She smiled to herself. Luna the Zoroark was now the first team member of Will.

*Few hours later*

Luna was in the trance, dream-like state of being inside the Pokeball when she was suddenly released by Will. "Come on Will, I was just getting used to the feeling of being inside a Pokeball again," she said in an almost whiny tone, stretching, before noticing 2 other humans present. One was a fairly tall, strong looking man but with soft eyes. The other was a woman which was the direct opposite, small frame but with set of eyes that never stopped studying the Pokemon in front of her. '_Will's parents,_' Luna thought. Both had Will's dark brown hair and near black irises, both wearing Pokemon Ranger Uniforms. A Swanna hovered near the woman, and a Stoutland stood near the man, a small scowl on its face as it looked at Will and Luna.

"Luna, these are my parents. Mom, Dad, this is Luna, the Zoroark I just captured," Will explained.

Both of the adults looked at each other, then back at Pokemon and their son. "Well, we'd better sit down and listen to your story," Will's Dad said.

As they began to sit, Luna piped up and said, "Mine too, Will said you would be interested in what I had to say."

Will's parent's eyebrows rose, and his mother commented with, "So you can speak telepathically, interesting. Not a very common gift or skill among Pokemon."

Pride filled Luna's eyes with the comment, but Will asked, "Wait, you can hear her too? Thought it only worked with 1 person at a time."

His father answered with, "No, it's like our speech, affecting those with in its...radius in a sense, but we hear it in our heads. Luna, was it?" A nod from the Zoroark, "Can still make sounds any Pokemon can make vocally as well."

"Hmm."

Each human and Pokemon took a seat, whether on furniture, the floor, or in the Swanna's case, a roof beam, as both Will and Luna began their stories.

After both told their tales of how they met, Will's parent's began to think, his father leaning back and looking up in thought, while his mother rested her head on a fist. "Well, that is some story, both of you," she said, then turning to Will, "And I suppose the next thing you are going to ask the the League Challenge right?"

Will nodded, "Yes, and if what happened is any proof that I am ready-"

"I still think what is best for you is here on Route 7 Will. You have shown great skill as a possible Pokemon Ranger, and we won't be watching over the route forever, so we want to pass it off to someone we know will take care of it.

"That's the thing Mom!" Will responded, "I've grown up here, seen pretty much every Pokemon on this route, I want something new and different! The Challenge-"

"Is extremely dangerous," Will's mother shot back, "You've heard the news of more injuries and violence happening to trainers on the journey! I don't want you getting hurt!"

"But-!"

"If I may interject," Luna said. All eyes turned to her. "Since I have been on the journey for a period of time, I could tell you what it's like." With nod from them all, she continued, "It's true that trainers do get hurt, whether it be from an accident or a wild Pokemon. In fact, it will probably happen to everyone at some point. However! This, in a way, is what helps trainers grow and become better at battling and living with Pokemon, the reason for the Challenge. My...former trainer...compared it in a way to a crucible, to fight your way through your obstacles, while taking the burden of being a strong trainer. There are many positives though! The Challenge can help trainers improve their abilities, especially where they are severely lacking. Also, in the beginning stages of the journey, many trainers team up into groups, training with and defending each other, along with their Pokemon." 'Come on, I'm itching to go back.'

Will's parents again went into deep thought, weighing what the Zoroark had said, before answering.

His mother responded with, "I still don't know..."

"Mom, I need to get out, not just stay on Route 7 my entire life."

"I actually have an idea," Will's father said. All eyes now turned to him, "Why not a Pokemon battle? Me verses you, Gruff verses Luna. It will consider, in a way, whether you are ready or not Will."

"But I only just met Luna yesterday! I have no experience with battling either!"

"You are going to experience that when capturing new Pokemon," Will's father responded, "And there's no time but the present to learn about battling."

"Dear, are you sure?" His wife asked.

"Yes, and I'm sure you're fine with refereeing the match right?" Will's mother nodded.

Will sighed, but nodded. 'Come on kid, you better learn if you really want to be ready for the journey, and this is the best chance you have at the moment.' Luna thought.

"Alright then," Will's mother said, "take a half hour to plan together, then meet out front."

Will got up, motioned for Luna to follow, and headed upstairs to his room to learn Luna's moves and stratigize a battle plan.

*Half hour later*

"You ready son?"

"Ready to win, yeah!"

The 2 trainers were staring at each other, Pokemon their sides, ready to battle. '_Jeez, will they knock off the yelling and just jump right into the battling?_' Luna thought.

"Alright then, go Gruff!" The Stoutland bounded forward in front of its trainer.

"Let's win this Luna!" Will yelled.

"I plan to." She responded in a dark tone, stepping in front of Will.

"Take Down Gruff!" The Stoutland charged forward.

Will barely had any time to react, "Dodge it!"

Luna skirted to one side barely avoiding the charge, '_Come on! You gotta be faster than that with orders!_'

"Night Slash!"

Luna's claw turned a dark purple and she swung towards the Stoutland, but he was already retreating back after the attack. 'Come on Will!'

"You gotta be faster than that Will," his father said, "Crunch!"

"Dodge it, then Fury Swipes!"

Gruff lumbered forward and tried to chomp Luna, but he couldn't match her speed. She then started to slash repeatedly at his side, getting some damage in.

"Nice job Will and Luna, you got the first hit in," Will's father commented, "But you can't dodge forever, Thunder Fang!"

"Meet it with Feint Attack!"

Luna started to swing left at Gruff, and he turned to bite her arm, mouth glowing, when she suddenly hit him with her right paw. However, Gruff was able to get a quick bite in on her right arm as she began to retreat.

"Luna!" Will yelled, she took some damage, but didn't seem to be paralyzed.

"I'm fine, go!"

"Follow up with another Fury Swipes!"

Luna charged forward, but Gruff just lowered his head, preparing for the attack. Luna got 2 hits in before Will's father yelled, "Reversal!" 'Wha-Damn it! Look out for this stuff Will!'

"Back!" Will yelled, but was too slow. The heavy fighting attack hit Luna squarely in the chest, and she fell back and struggled to get up, the super-effective attack doing a large amount of damage. "Come on Luna! Now for the unexpected! Flamethrower!"

Luna got up, jumped back and released a stream of fire from her mouth, hitting Gruff across the face. The Stoutland winced and stepped back, a burn on his right cheek.

"So your former trainer taught you that move, interesting. This next attack may decide the match, with Gruff's burn and Luna starting to get tired. Go ahead, attack."

Will's eyes narrowed, '_Come on, don't fall for it again,_' Luna thought, but Will shook his head and gestured towards his father.

"Alright then, Gruff, Take Down, don't miss!" The Stoutland charged forward eying Luna for any movement.

Luna waited for Will to say something, but he was slow before yelling out an order, '_What are you doing Wil-!_' He's using the same tactic as she heard his order.

"Luna, Night Slash across Gruff's burn!" The Zoroark slowly turned to avoid the attack, claw glowing a dark purple as she raked across Gruff's face as he passed. The Stoutlant stumbled and fell, tried to get up but went to his knees.

"Stoutland is unable to battle, Zoroark...and Will win!" Will's mother yelled.

Luna turned to a surprised Will, his eyes wide, trying to process what just happened, "Didn't know you would do it quick enough, but you did...we won."

Luna went in front of Will and gave him a push to get his attention, "Yeah, but I nearly went down to that Reversal! You gotta be quicker than that!"

She continued to lecture Will as both of his parents approached them. Luna then paused and turned towards them.

"You right Luna, Will, you have to process and think faster, don't be second guessing anything you think, just go through with it," Will's father commented, "Come on, I help you pack, and we'll get some medicine for the Pokemon." Will nodded and followed his father, he looked to Luna.

"Nah, I'll stay out here, need some air." she said.

As Will and his father went inside, his mother approached Luna. She looked at the Zoroark for a bit, before speaking, "I still don't think he is ready," she raised her hand before Luna responded, "I know you want to go on the journey again with a good trainer, and that both of you will do your best, but just promise me one thing." She then got extremely close to Luna's face, "Protect Will, protect my son, with your life."

"I swear it," Luna promised right away, but thoughts were going through her head. '_Can I? What if IT retur-NO! IT will NOT return, IT is over, IT is in the past! This is my second chance, and I will not let it go to waste!_' she then got up and started to walk into the cabin, _'I need to rest...tomorrow's gonna be a big day...Forget the medicine, I just need to...sleep.'_ She collapsed on the couch, curled up like she did the night before, and closed her eyes, waiting to wake up on the day that she, and her new trainer Will, shall begin their journey to begin the Challenge.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! There, a lot of exposition out of the way. Sorry if these 1st couple chapters aren't that interesting, but I feel like I need to set up the beginning of the story well with enough details for everyone to understand and feel immersed. However, now the cool stuff will begin in the next chapter as our duo begin the journey across Unova to take on the League! Will work hard to get the next chapter up! Let me know what you think! Happy reading!<strong>**  
><strong>


	3. The Journey is Beginning!

**Sorry this took so long! Had other stuff going on, and this is a bit longer than usual, but now, let's return to Will and Luna, as they just begin their journey in Unova!**

* * *

><p>Also, the thought appearance will change italics, due to complaints of getting thoughts and speech mixed up.<p>

"talking out loud" '_thoughts_' *actions/sounds*

* * *

><p><strong>Will<strong>

*Thud*

"Ow! Freaking...gah...," Will mumbled, as he kicked a rock a bit larger and bit more solid than he thought it would have been. However, he shook it off and continued on, shrugging his backpack into a more comfortable position of his shoulders. He checked his watch, _'Hmph, been a few hours already? Must be getting close to Mistralton...'_ he thought as he walked on, the forest and tall grass of Route 7 thinning out.

_'So this is what it feels like, the League Challenge...then again, haven't really started it yet. Still have to sign up, pass that test, and get to 1 of the starting points...yep still going with Aspertia City. Wait, do I still have...ah what the heck, might as well check everything again.' _Will set down his backpack and began to rummage through it and his pockets. _'Camping gear, check. Cloths...yes Mom...check. Money, still Pokedollars is weird, check. Plane ticket, heh, they already know I'll pass, check. Pokemon supplies, check. Luna...' _Will took the Pokeball in his hand and stared at it for some time. _'...Thanks Luna...check.' _Will re-organized everything, putting most of it in his backpack, _'Thank you technology,'_ and started walking again.

A few hours later, Will saw Mistralton City come into view as the dirt road he was one started to become smoother and turn to pavement. He paused and took out Luna's Pokeball, and released the Zoroark.

"Hrggh...ah," Luna said as she stretched, "Huh? Thought we'd be there by now...oh there it is, but why did you stop here? Better be important, finally got used to being in a Pokeball again."

Will nervously shifted from one foot to the other before asking, "You know your Illusion ability? I was hoping you could use it for something...I'm not a huge fan of attracting a lot of attention, and with me being a new trainer who started a year later than most, and having a stronger starting Pokemon than most other trainers...Could you possibly turn into another Pokemon just for the trainer and Pokemon inspection? When we get to the starting area I chose, I can catch a weaker Pokemon and use that for most of the earlier battles..."

Luna's eyes narrowed and gave him another glare, "So you just wanted me to be your disguise to get through the inspection? Heh, and here I thought you would actually want me to be your Pokemon."

"I do! Seriously! But-"

"Than accept me for who I am and being the Pokemon you captured...or chose to tag along...doubt you could ever capture me. Heh, wonder how many tries it's going to take to catch that Pokemon you were speaking of. As for your answer, no. This is what you get," she said, raising her arms, "or you could wimp out and go running back to that cabin," she finished with a mocking grin.

Will scowled, "I thought I told you to stop poking fun at me, I want to try to get along and know each other better as Pokemon and trainer...Sigh...Fine!" Will said, throwing up his arms, "I'll deal with the attention of being a late trainer and the suspicion of having a strong Pokemon...Won't like it though..." He glanced at Luna, who for a second looked..._'relieved?'_ Before preparing to return her.

"You know this won't be easy, and not everything, in fact most things on this journey will not go as planned," Luna commented, "Take it from me, you'll have to deal with a lot more things than just attention from other trainers. So stop complaining and man up! I knew you were not as strong as other trainers, but if you whine this much! Rrr! Just had to be stuck with you..."

_'Stuck?! With me?!' _"Now wait a second-"

But Luna just waved Will off with her paw, "Just return me and hurry up, want to get into some action sometime soon."

_'This is what I'm going to have to deal with?'_ But Will said nothing out loud and returned Luna, staring at the Pokeball again. _'Come on...I'm trying to be nice...Dang it, what did you go through Luna...if that's causing your attitude.'  
><em>

Will soon reached Mistralton City, not a large city compared to a lot of the others in Unova, but still bigger than anything Will was used to. _'Let's see...Pokemon Center Pokemon Center...No...school, stores...Ok the airstrip is there...Ah!' _Will spotted the well-known large, red and white colored building and headed inside.

The Center was not very crowded, _'Probably gonna be a lot more when the Challenge starts, now where do I go...?' _Will looked around, and noticed the front desk, and walked over. "Hey, I'm new and I wanted to apply for the League-"

The nurse looked up and smiled, "Another one? Don't worry, you're in the right place, wait a second. Amy! Can you come over here please?"

Another young woman in a nurses uniform came over, "Yes Jamie?"

"This young man is applying for the League Challenge, can you take him to the office room so he can apply with the manger?"

"Sure thing! Follow me...oh sorry! Your name?"

"My name's Will." _'Does every nurse have a bubbly personality?'_

"Ok Will! Come with me."

Will followed the nurse as she led him to a hallway near the back.

"So you're taking on the Challenge? Terrific!" Nurse Amy said with a smile, "I remember when I tried it years ago...You also missed the surge of trainers who were applying a few weeks ago, so it should be nice and quiet for you to get everything done! Best of luck on the test and evaluation! Oh yeah! What Pokemon are you starting out with? I remember when I started with my little Audino, still work with her today here!"

"Uhh...well umm..." _'Just what I wanted to avoid'_ "I'm starting with a...uh-"

"Nurse Amy!" A man came running up behind them. "We have a trainer and Pokemon injured from a horde battle, they need you and your Audino up front now!"

"Oh! Manager Nick! Well, I needed to take Will here to be signed up-"

"I can take him to be signed up, but they need you in the surgery room now!"

"Yessir! Bye Will!"

Will watched as Nurse Amy headed down a connecting hallway, pulling out a Pokeball along the way.

"Don't worry kid, I needed to meet you anyway, being the one to test and evaluate you. Come on, let's go to the office."

Will followed the manager for the rest of the way and into a room filled with desks and computers. "You can sit here and I'll bring out the first step, the quick test."

30 minutes later, and a near perfect score, Will sat in front of Nick. "Wow, gotta say kid, great job with the test, you were taught well. Now for the interview and evaluation."

A series of questions later, and a check of his gear, Nick said, "Ok! All seems in order, now you just have to fill out this form and have to check your starting Pokemon, and you can get ready to go to the starting area you chose."

After filling out the form and bring out his Pokeball, Will waited for Nick to finish looking over the form. _'Come on, I'm this close...But here comes the part I'm dreading...Please don't question it...'_

Nick's eyebrows raised as he finished the form, "So your 17? It is uncommon for a first-timer to start a year later than others, but what interested in is your starter, a Zoroark...and the fact that you caught her just a few days ago."

Will fidgeted in his chair, "Yeah...Guess it's best to tell you my story." Will began his tale, and as he finished he brought out Luna.

After a flash a light, Luna looked around, and noticed Nick, "So your the inspector? Guess so, you look like the first one I met."

A small look of surprise crossed Nick's face, "Capable of telepathy? Interesting...Guess it'll help with your stories." He gestured both of them to continue, and after hearing what they had to say, he leaned back in his chair and nodded. "So this isn't your first time on the journey? Well have to say, you have a very interesting tale, both of you. And I'm guessing you won't want to reveal your secrets Luna?" Getting a nod from the Zoroark, he continued, "Though I can see you are still capable of battling, and if you really want to go with Will, I won't stop you. However, I have one thing to say, to both of you." He leaned forward, "There are trainers out there who will see you two as something similar to cheaters, and will be jealous of you having a stronger Pokemon. I agree with trying to find a weaker Pokemon in the beginning, but others will find out about Luna, and it's up to them on how they take it. Best advice I can give is hope for the best. Now, you have a plan to catch right?"

Will nodded, "Yep, the final flight to the starting area I chose, Aspertia City, leaves tomorrow."

"Well, we'll set you up with a room here to get ready for tomorrow. Now the I just need your trainers fee, and you can start you adventure."

After paying the 2000 Pokedollar fee for the Challenge, Will went up to one of the small rooms offered by the Pokemon Center, and laid on the bed. _'So...I'm on the journey to take on the League Challenge...still a bit more anti-climatic than I thought...but there is the beginning ceremony at the starting areas...Hmm'_ He took out Luna's Pokeball again. _'I'm sure you are still itching to battle, hold on, we're almost there...What are you hiding Luna? What happened?'_ Mulling over things in his head, Will set the alarm clock, and went to sleep.

*Morning*

"Hrggghh...ah" Will got up and looked at the clock, 5:00, before the alarm, but good enough to get ready. _'Well, here we go, time for the flight...'_ Will gathered his things, and made for the airstrip. After turning in his ticket, and giving his gear over to be put in the cargo hold, he went up the steps leading into the twin engine propeller plane. He looked around, lots of people his age filled many of the seats, _'Fellow trainers I'm guessing?'_ A few adults were scattered about as well, along with a few empty seats. Will found 2 empty seats near the back and sat down in the window seat to relax before the flight. _'Jeez my stomach...am I scared of flying? If so, this is going to be a long 4 hours...'_ He looked up though when he heard a voice next to him.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

Will looked at a guy who looked about his age, _'another trainer?'_ with dark blond hair, who was glancing back and forth, "I think this is the last empty seat, so I hope it's ok if I..."

"Yeah, go ahead," Will answered, "Guess that means the planes about to leave right?"

The other trainer, nodded, "Thanks! And yeah, looks like we are about to leave soon." He sat down in the seat next to Will and strapped in. "I'm really nervous, we're are about to start the League Challenge! I feel like running and fainting at the same time! Oh yeah! The name's Max." He stuck out his hand.

Shaking it, Will answered, "I'm Will. Same here, feel like Butterfree's are in my stomach, though I think I'm more nervous about flying than the beginning of the journey."

"Ah come on! Flying is awesome! Love it so much, it's my starting Pokemon's type! I'll show you him when we are allowed to bring out Pokemon during the flight."

A flight attendant soon stood in the aisle departing the 2 rows of double seats, and started showing the safety information and other important things the passengers needed to know. The attendant finished with, "A reminder that all Pokemon larger than an adult human must be stored in the cargo hold, Pokemon under the limit may be kept with their trainer. Pokemon under 3 ft or 1 meter tall can be release from their Pokeballs at cruising altitude. We will let you know when that is reached. We hope you enjoy your flight to Aspertia City on Aerial Ace Airlines."

The plane soon moved to the runway and began to speed up for takeoff.

"Hey Will, here," Max said, handing him something wrapped, "it's gum. Chew on that til the plane reaches cruising. It'll help your ears pop. And trust me, you won't like it if they don't."

Will took the gum and popped it in his mouth, "Thanks." _'Nice guy.'_

The plane sped up and began to take off, and Will found himself beginning to clutch the arms of the chair more tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Max glanced over and gave a small grin. "First time flying? Don't worry, it'll be fine. My dad's a pilot with the airline, so I know what a normal take off feels like. Just chew the gum and try to relax, close your eyes. If worst comes to worst, you have the airsick bag, though if you puke on me, then we'd have a problem."

The plane began to climb more and more, Will glanced out the window and managed to catch a glimpse of the Mistralton Gym as they flew over it. _'Let's hope I get to see that again.'_

Minutes later, the plane leveled out, and the same flight attendant appeared in the front. She began to make her way through the aisles, and in a few seats she passed, there were flashes of light with the sounds of Pokemon. She then reached the 2 seats with Will and Max in them, and turned to speak with them, "We have reached cruising altitude, you can now bring out any Pokemon under the limit. We hope you are enjoying the flight so far!" She then turned and repeated the same thing to the seats across from Will and Max.

Max grinned at Will as he took out a red and white Pokeball and clicked its button, "Come on out Swift, take a look at where we are!" A small flash of light and a Pokemon appeared.

_'Hmm, bird Pokemon, blue with some red, yellow beak, white under body...' _"This is the common bird Pokemon from Hoenn right? They're called...uh...names' on the tip of my tongue..."

"They are called Taillows," Max finished for him.

"Dang it! I was about to say that!"

Max shrugged and continued, letting his Taillow flutter over to perch by the window, "His name is Swift, my starter. Neat guy isn't he? I have an aunt and uncle who live in Hoenn, they sent me him as a sort of '16th birthday present/get ready to take on the League where you live' kind of thing. And hey, I love Flying types! Grew up near the airport and all, spent some time on airplanes, so I saw lots of Flying Pokemon, and couldn't get enough of them! Now, got myself a cool Flying type, from another region no less, and about to take on the League! I've been waiting years for this, turned 16 early this year, so I have my chance! What about you Will? What's your starter and your story? Got a few hours to kill anyways." Max finished, leaning back in his seat.

_'Again, so soon? Well, Nick said it would happen again...though I would like to keep it to as few people as possible...Damn it' _But Will just shifted in his seat and looked at the Taillow that was watching the clouds roll by. "Well...I'm a bit different than most of the other trainers here, and I would appreciate if you could keep most of this information to yourself."

Max gave a small frown, but nodded.

Will continued, but lowering his voice slightly, "I'm actually starting a bit later than most trainers, I'm 17. Though I did always dream of taking on the League, but the problem for me was no parental support and no starter."

Max shrugged, "Hey, you're not alone. Sure most trainers start out at 16, but there are others out there who start at your age, if not older. And I'm guessing that because you are here now, your parents are ok with it, and you have a starter...Wait, my turn to guess! Ok, guessing since you haven't brought him or her out yet is because they are over the limit...but you have their Pokeball with you, so it's not too big...Is it an evolved Pokemon...? Well, I give up!

_'...Well he got it partially right.'_ Ok, please just keep this to yourself, won't like all the attention I may get from it." Will glanced around, but saw all the other passengers around him were in conversation or sleeping. "...My starter is a Zoroark."

Max's eyes grew wide, "A what-?! Wow! Lucky you! That is one rare Pokemon, and strong one, to start off with! How the heck did you catch it?"

Will leaned back in his chair, "Well...uh, wouldn't exactly say I caught her, her name is Luna by the way, more like she decided to tag along with me. She said that she wanted to take on the League again after she left her last trainer," Max looked like he wanted to interject, but Will raised his hand, "Don't bother asking why, she won't tell me either." Luna's Pokeball, in almost as a response, shook a few times. "See?"

Max appeared to be thinking for a few seconds, before giving a sharp whistle, bringing Swift back to his arm. "Well, that is interesting, but still, a Zoroark?! You will blaze through those early gyms with no trouble!

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I want to try to catch a weaker Pokemon early on to try and not attract so much attention. As for Gym Leaders, they keep Pokemon of all strengths, for both early and later trainers, depending on the trainer's starting area."

Max shrugged again, and said, "Hey, Luna, that's her name right? Luna is still a strong Pokemon, no doubt, and that ability will help out once you get more Pokemon on your team. I was going to ask to battle you sometime, maybe after the Beginning Ceremony, but no doubt Luna would crush Swift." The Taillow gave an angry sounding chirp at his trainer in response. "Hey, I know your fast, but 1 hit from a Pokemon like that and you would be down!" But Swift just gave another angry chirp, gave his trainer a small Peck, and went to go perch by the window again. "Nuh uh! Back in your Pokeball!" And returned the Taillow.

Will looked outside to mountains now turning to forests, "Listen, as much as I would like to keep on talking, I would really like to get some sleep."

Max gave a small nod, "Go ahead, need to think about how and which Pokemon I want to catch 1st when everyone begins."

"Hey, I grew up on Route 7 with Pokemon Rangers as parents, I will be glad to lend a few tips."

"Thanks! Why not we pair up for a while when it all starts? Give us a chance to battle, and I'm sure we could make some great progress working together."

Will shrugged, "Sure, why not?" He then shifted over in his seat and tried to sleep, but thoughts were going through his mind. _'Well, that wasn't so bad, but I'm sure there will be others who won't be so kind...Still, nice to meet someone to pair up for a bit, wonder if I'll run into anyone else like that when I get to Mistralton? Ah well...Tired...' _

*Few hours later*

Will woke up to someone tapping his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Max strapping himself in.

"We are going to be landing soon. Should be smooth, especially with Aspertia City being newer as well as its airstrip, but its the rules to be strapped in.

Will nodded, and with a yawn, strapped himself in for the landing. A few bumps and a random Pokeball in the air hitting someone's face later, _'Is it that hard to put your Pokeball on your belt or in your pocket?'_ and they were back on the ground, grabbing their luggage, taking in their new surroundings.

Max looked around, Swift perched on his shoulder, and turned to Will, "Think the Pokemon Center will have vacancy?"

Will shook his head, "Nah, we're late trainers, think most of the earlier arrivals will have already got the rooms there. There should be some motels around though, pretty sure there are some good ones out there."

With a nod, Max said, "Alright, I'll look around, but I have some things to get done to be ready for the ceremony tomorrow to start everything off. Here, my Xtransceiver number so we can meet up and you can help me catch a Pokemon and battle each other!"

Will smiled and gave his info as well. After looking at a map, Max went to look for the Pokemon Center as Will went to search for a motel, which was a bit harder being in a new city. After talking with a few locals, Will found himself checking into a room at the Sleeping Snorlax Motel. _'Room looks nice, not to much money, and best part, it's near the city gate where the ceremony will be held tomorrow...Well I've got time to kill before nightfall, might as well see the local sights.' _Some more advice from the locals, and Will found himself visiting a few of the local shops. After getting a postcard to send to his parents back on Route 7, he headed for his final tourist attraction to see, the Aspertia City Lookout. _'Hope the view is as great as I heard about it.'_

Will made his way to a large set of stairs, leading to the large lookout he heard of. A few people were going down the steps, as well as a few others, like Will, were going up to the lookout. Will soon reached the top, and found himself looking at a large lookout, filled with benches, a few tables, and lit up by lamps as the sunset approached. A few couples were sitting at the tables and benches, while most were at the fence looking at the view. _'Wow...the locals weren't kidding...Well, a nice place to rest for the moment, is there a bench...Ah, there!' _Will sat himself on a bench that had some tree branched hanging over it, near the edge of the lookout. _'Nice for a bit of privacy.'_ He then got out Luna's Pokeball and brought her out. A small flash later and the Zoroark was out, looking around at her surroundings.

"Hmm, I'm guessing this is Aspertia right? Nice place, shame I never reached this far before with my former trainer."

"So your old trainer starter at Yamagi Town instead?"

"Yep," Luna said with a nod, "though I have to say, this is a nice view..." She went over and leaned on the railing, looking at the mountains and forests of Unova. She looked back at Will, "You just gonna sit there, or are you still scared to be seen with a Pokemon like me?"

_'Here we go again.' _"Fine fine, coming." Will walked over and stood with Luna, looking at the vast landscape, _'Might as well enjoy this before everything starts tomorrow.' _After looking at the scenery for a bit, Will went back to sit on the bench. "I also wanted to talk about what will happen tomorrow. I think most of the trainers starting here will head right for the cities' gym, so I'm thinking Max and I will head out to Route 19 and each catch a Pokemon to get our teams started. Oh yeah, Max is a trainer I met on the plane-"

Luna waved her paw, "No need, heard that entire conversation. How?" Luna said before Will could respond, "I could sense how anxious you were before the flight, most Pokemon can easily pick up on the emotions of their trainer, and trust me, the way you were feeling, there was no way I could relax in the Pokeball. So I listened in."

"Hmph, well I don't feel that way anymore. Anyways, I wanted to talk about some strategies for catching a wild Pokemon out on the route, so come and sit."

"Fine," Luna said, and came over, "Been itching for some action anyways, though most of these Pokemon around here will not be as strong as I am. Hear the Pokemon closest to cities are weaker than ones further out in the wild, so-"

*Clatter*

"What was that?"

"I don't know,' Luna answered, "I think I knocked something off the bench when I sat down...There!" Luna pointed towards a silver/black colored piece of tech, with a red Pokeball on the front.

Will picked it up, looking it over, "What ever it is, looks almost like an Xtransceiver, but a bit smaller, and more edged...Let me see here," He began to fiddle with the machine, before it lit up suddenly and blinked a few times, "Ummm..."

After a few seconds of nothing happening, a robotic voice spoke, "Voice identification required."

"Uh, what do I say?"

"Don't look at me, never seen anything like this before," Luna responded.

After a few more seconds, the robotic voice spoke again, "Voice not recognized. Please turn over this Pokedex to its owner. If owner cannot be found, please take this Pokedex to the nearest Pokemon Center."

"A Pokedex? I've heard of these, the head Professor Juniper and her researchers use these, but they are very high-tech, and rare. Why would one be just left here?"

"Who cares? Go ahead and return it, maybe we could get some kind of reward!"

"Maybe, and why we?"

"I was the one who knocked it off the bench."

"By accident," Will corrected, "and who knows if you broke it somehow?"

"Hey, it looks fine to me!" Luna shot back, "When you hand it over there, make sure you mention that your very talented Zoroark was the one who found it. Oh, and if it is broken somehow, go ahead and take the credit for it."

Will rolled his eyes, "Yeah...sure thing," and returned Luna to go find the Pokemon Center.

About 15 minutes later, Will found himself walking towards the Center's large, red and white building, the lost Pokedex in one of his pockets. _'Really hope this isn't broken and I get blamed for it, but yeah, it did look like it was in working order. Again though, how in the world was such an expensive piece of equipment left on some random bench-' _"Oof! Woah!" Will nearly fell on his face as he was suddenly pushed from behind. He caught himself on a nearby lightpost, and managed to catch a glimpse of a girl with light brown hair in a single braid down her back run past him and into the Pokemon Center.

"Hey, what gives?!" Will yelled, but the girl was already inside. A few people stopped to see if he was alright, but he waved them away. _'What was her problem? Is her Pokemon dying or something?' _He continued to think about the sudden encounter as he went inside the Center. He looked around the crowded Center, trainers heading to the Medical Station, a few making last minute purchases at the Pokemart inside the Center, some heading upstairs to the guest rooms, but most were mulling around in the lobby area. _'Ok, to the front desk once again.'_

As Will waited for the person in front of him to finish up, he patted his pocket where the rare piece of equipment still was, and then went to go speak with an open assistant at the desk. "Yes young man, can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Uh yeah. I found Pokedex lying around at the city lookout and it told me to bring it here. So..."

"Oh! You found it! Splendid! If you could go down that hallway over there and into the office area, there will be someone to take that. Sorry I can't show you the way myself, we're a bit to busy at the moment."

"No problem," Will answered, and headed to the hallway, _'Just how it was when I registered' _He made his way down the hallway and to the door marked 'Offices', and headed inside. There, he found 2 things that surprised him. One was the well-known head Professor, Professor Juniper herself! _'Why is she here? Did she lose the Pokedex...? Hey! Is that...?' _Who 'that' was, in fact the, same girl that nearly pushed him down outside the Center. From what Will could see, she was speaking in a very frantic manner to the Professor. He began to pick up on the conversation as he approached.

"Ok ok! Calm down child!"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Ms. Juniper! I didn't even know I lost it until just a few minutes ago! Please don't take me off the research assignment!"

Will waited for a bit, _'How do I interject in a situation like this?'_, before finally stepping forward. "Um, excuse me?"

The Professor raised her hand, and the girl finally stopped speaking, before turning to Will, "Yes child? Did you need something?"

"Um, I found this at the lookout, it told me to bring it to the Center, and the assistant up front told me to come back here..." Will said as he fished out the Pokedex from his pocket.

The girl gasped, "You found it!" And snatched the Pokedex from his hand. She then walked over to one of the room's corners, and spoke into it, before starting to work on it.

The Professor turned to Will, with an apologizing look on her face, "I'm afraid I'll have to say sorry for Sam here. She does one thing before suddenly doing something else, the same goes for her personality. Thank you for finding the Pokedex, I was worried I would have a...situation on my hands. Wait a second please. Sam! Come here and be polite please!" She motioned the girl, Sam, to come over to Will and herself.

Sam walked over, still looking at the Pokedex, berfore joining the duo, and finally looking up. Will was now able to see her features, looking about his age, with the same light brown hair in a braid down her back, as well as having green eyes, slightly paler skin compared to Will's, and a splash of freckles across her face. "Sam, please thank...Oh sorry, your name?"

"Will."

"Please thank Will for finding you Pokedex, especially avoiding the incident that would have happened."

Sam stared at Will for a second, before saying, "Thanks...you didn't do anything to it, did you?"

"Samantha!"

"I'm sorry Ms. Juniper! Just want to make sure the little information I have on here is safe!"

_'Really don't need another one of these.' "_I didn't do anything, I swear! My Pokemon found it on a bench on the lookout, I just fiddled with it a bit before it told me to bring it to the Center. Nothing's broken, right?"

Sam looked at the Pokedex again, "No...all my research is here...Sorry..."

Will waved his hand, "It's fine, I know how important and rare those things are. But why do you have one? I though only high level researchers could use those."

Before Sam could answer, Professor Juniper stepped in, "I'll answer all your questions and help with anything else you may need. But it's late, and I'm sure we are all tired. We'll talk more tomorrow, and as a reward for your help Will, you can have my room here at the Center. You're a trainer taking on the League Challenge that starts tomorrow? Trust me, the Center has the best guest rooms, better than any motel, and it's free for you. Stop!" Professor Juniper raised her hand before Will could interject, "It's fine, I just learned a friend of mine is going out of town, and I could housesit for her. Now, I have some more business to attend to before I turn in. Here is the key to my room, and you should turn in as well Sam," she turned to the girl, "You've had a stressful day as well."

Sam nodded and headed out of the room, followed by Will after he took the key from the Professor. He headed up to the room on the keycard, after collecting what little he had at the motel. He laid back on the small bed, thinking over the events of the day. _'Well, lots of things happened today...But tomorrow is when it all starts. Maybe I could ask the Professor for some help as well...Hmmm...'_ Will began to drift off to sleep, when he remembered he didn't even mention to Sam that she almost pushed him down earlier. _'Eh, I'll tell her tomorrow.' _He thought before finally falling asleep.

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><p><strong>Wow! That was a long one! Again, sorry it took so long, more details came to as I was writing, and I couldn't find a good place to end the chapter without making it a bit short. To show I'm sorry, I'll let you in on some info on the next chapter. Both Will and Max will each catch new Pokemon! One originates from Hoenn, the other from Sinnoh. I'll try to get the next chapter out a bit sooner! Thanks for any reviews, and happy reading!<br>**


	4. New Pokemon Join as the Journey Begins!

**Neat! Just got 10 followers, I feel so popular! :D Really, I'm happy to see this story getting attention, it's been a dream of mine to write a story that readers love! Glad to see you are liking my story so far, hope you enjoy the rest of it! Now, onto the next chapter!**

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><p><strong>Will<strong>

*beep beep beep crash!*

Will knocked over the alarm clock as he tried to hit the snooze button. With a yawn, he got up and got ready. _'Today is the day of the Ceremony, finally the start of the adventure...still feels too calm. Eh, maybe the Ceremony will have some fanfare. Let's see, 6:30? Good, still got time to meet Professor Juniper before the Ceremony starts at 8.' _Will went out of the room and back to the office room where he met the Professor and Sam the night before. Will waited for the Professor to show up, munching a bagel and looking over Luna's Pokeball again._ 'Wait a bit longer Luna, the journey starts soon.' _The door opened and Professor Juniper stepped in. Will put Luna's Pokeball back on his belt, finished his breakfast, and went to talk with the Professor.

"Good morning Professor, thanks again for giving me your room here."

Professor Juniper waved her hand and smiled, "Think nothing of it child, I should be thanking you for finding Sam's Pokedex. We really dodged the Fire Blast this time, I keep reminding those engineers they need to add a GPS tracker in there, but no, 'already too much inside that machine they say.' Anyway, I'm rambling on about nonsense, and I'm sure your curious why such a young girl your age has such an important piece of equipment."

Will nodded, "Yeah, though I think it may have something to do with Sam going on League journey, right? Also, if you're implying I'm the same age as Sam, if she's starting as early as everyone, you're wrong. I'm starting a year later than most, I'm 17. Speaking of Sam, where is she?"

The Professor shrugged in an apologetic manner, "I'll have to apologize for Sam again. That girl, she went off early this morning to get more info for her Pokedex. As for the explanation about that, it's a bit of a long story. While it is a rarity, Sam isn't the first young research to use a Pokedex. Each of the regions' top Professors keep trying to find more info about Pokemon, researching the many aspects of Pokemon. Since most of the money the League loans us are put into the lab, we don't have the expenses to send out researchers to every corner of the region. That is where young trainers like Sam come in. Child prodigies like her who have lots of potential working with Pokemon are sought out by the Professors to help with research of Pokemon. While traversing the region, Sam will be collecting info about Pokemon, in this case info about Pokemon family habits and clans. We have been wanting to update our research in that area for some time now. Oh, and you said your 17? Don't worry, while it is uncommon, there are plenty of trainers who start out a bit later than others."

"Thanks," Will said, "That was one of the things I wanted to ask you about, bit nervous about attracting attention for being a late trainer."

Professor Juniper smiled, "It's ok to attract some attention. I'm sure some of the other trainers will look up to you for advice, while others will want to battle you for that. Though I'm sure you and your starter are ready for them, right?"

"Heh, yeah!" Will said, rubbing the back of his head. _'Even if she is a Professor, still a bit uncomfortable about telling her about Luna.' _"I also wanted to ask you about any advice you would have for a new trainer!"

"Well, don't want to put you ahead of everyone else, but I can give you some good starting advice," Professor Juniper said, "A lot of trainers will head straight for the gym, though I would recommend adding another Pokemon to your team. The gym leader here will challenge you with 2 Pokemon, and even if your starter is strong, taking on both will be tough for a single Pokemon. There are plenty of Pokemon at the route outside of town, so getting another Pokemon is the best advice I can give you right now!"

Will gave a small bow of his head, "Thank you Professor."

The Professor smiled, "It's nothing child. I'm sure you are off to a great start. I also have a small favor to ask. As you can probably tell, Sam may have talent as a researcher, but she can be a bit...absentminded and distracted. If you could watch out for her a bit during the beginning stages of the journey, I would be thankful."

Taken a bit off guard, Will said "Are you sure Professor?"

Professor Juniper nodded, "I can tell a person's talent when I meet them, and I see that you have lots of potential as well. Now, best for you to get to the Ceremony. I'm sure Sam will be there as well. Even if you don't want to team up with Sam, I would appreciate if you give her a few tips."

Will shrugged, "I guess so. Thanks Professor."

"It's nothing child, good luck on your journey."

With a wave, Will left and headed for the center of Aspertia City, where the Beginning Ceremony was going to be held. As he made his way there, his Xtransceiver rang, and he saw it was Max. He answered, "Hey Max, you heading to the Ceremony?"

"Yeah! Almost there, you should hurry up if you're not here yet. Most of the other starting trainers are there, and it's looks a bit crowded."

"Well, if we can't meet up there, meet me at the gate to Route 19. Best for both of us to get another Pokemon for our teams before we challenge the gym."

"Got it, see you there."

Will hung up, and hurried to the Ceremony.

About 15 minutes later, Will found himself at the edge of a large, seated crowd, mostly made up of young trainers like himself. _'Wow...heard the 150 trainer limit was reached this year, but still! So many beginning trainers in one place, and this is only half of them, the others are at the other starting point...Ah! It's going to start!' _Looking around, Will took one of the final seats near the crowds edge.

On a raised platform with a mic and a few seats, a man in a suit stepped up to speak. "Hello beginning trainer! I am the Mayor of Aspertia City, Mr. Marcus. Let me start by saying congratulations to everyone here for passing all the beginner tests. You all will begin your journey to take on the League soon, but first, the Gym Leader of this city, Cheren, who I'm sure you will all soon face, wants a quick word."

The mayor sat down, and a young man in a relaxed dress shirt and tie stood up to the mic. He cleared his throat before he began speaking, "Young trainers, welcome to the start of your journey. I'm afraid I don't have the time for a speech, but I have to make a few announcements, and give a few words of advice. First off, never be afraid of losses, don't let them get you down. There will be a time and place where you and your Pokemon will lose. You must learn from that. Second, care for your Pokemon. They are more than your team, they are your partners, your closest companions on this journey. I know you all have heard this before, preached, taught and more, but it's the best advice for everyone. At this time, that is the most important information you all need to know. Now, for those announcements," he re-adjusted his tie before speaking, "And I'm afraid that these are not announcements that you want to hear. Gym battles will now be limited to only a dozen battles a day, from the usual 20."

A series of groans, questions and a few curses arose from the crowd of trainers.

"Wait, what?"

"Aw, come on!"

"Damn it!"

Cheren waved his hand and the voices ceased, "In addition, all Gym battles on Sundays will also be suspended." He waved his hand again before the angry cries could start. "This will go for all Gyms in the Unova region, and I'm sorry to everyone. We are experiencing certain problems we don't have answers to at the moment. We hope to have everything worked out as soon as possible. Now, bad news aside, I wish you all the best of luck on your adventure. I'm sure I will see you all at my Gym, your journey begins now." With another wave of his hand, Cheren left the stage and walked off, several other people following him.

Discussions broke out among the large crowd of trainers, questioning what they heard, and a few planning out new ideas with partners. Will's brain began running, _'Wow, that's a lot of news to drop to us so suddenly. Doesn't really change my plans with Max for catching some new Pokemon, so that's still on...But still, what could be happening?' _Will brought out his Xtransceiver and sent a text to Max letting him know their plans haven't changed. He then facepalmed when he sent it, _'Should have asked Professor Juniper for Sam's contact into...Oh well, too late now.' _He then looked up as the Mayor came back to the mic to start a few raffles many of the trainers bought tickets for. _'Eh, doesn't apply to me, never believed I could win anything like that anyways.' _Will got up and left the crowd, seeing a few other trainers leaving as well in other directions. He began his walk to the gate to Route 19, to meet up with Max.

*1 hour later*

Will looked up from his seat on the grass on Route 19, next to the city gate, to see Max looking around. He waved him over, and Max jogged over to him as Will stood up. "Hey! Where have you been?"

Max jogged up to him and answered, "Was listening to the raffles, was hoping to win one. Also had to pick up some stuff too."

Will shook his head, "You know the odds of you winning one of those, even with the numbers, doubtful you can win."

Max shrugged, "Hey, there's still a chance." He shrugged his backpack into a better position, "So, where are we heading off to, expert of the wild."

Will gave him a small scowl before walking on the path, deeper into the patch of woods, "Hey, I only grew up on a Route, it's not like I grew up with a family of wild Pokemon or something."

"Just kidding around!"

"Whatever. There should be some good Pokemon around these woods near the city. Not too tough for some beginning Pokemon, plus I'm looking for a weaker one anyways."

"Yeah," Max said, bringing out his Pokeball and releasing Swift, his Taillow, who went and perched on his trainer's shoulder, "Hey, no one else is here, I'd think bringing out your Zoroark would be ok."

"Ehh, I was planning to use some bait to catch a Pokemon. Having Luna follow us around would probably scared away a lot of Pokemon." Will responded.

"Aw, come on! I want to see this Zoroark!"

Will raised his hands in defense, "Hey, later, later! Want to get another Pokemon first..." Both of them continued to walk for a bit, passing the time with some small talk, when Will stopped, roughly 1/4 of a way into the Route, leaving the path. "This should be deep enough to try and lure a Pokemon to us," he said, spying a few Patrat and Purrloin on the ground, a few Pidove in trees, as well as a small mix of other Pokemon. A few fled at the sight of the duo, but others watched from hiding places in the woods.

"Ok, nature expert, what do we do?"

"Keep calling me names and I'll just leave you out here."

"Just having some fun! Seriously though, what do we do?"

"Well, I'll go first and show you what I know." Finding a small clearing surrounded by some trees and tall grass, Will put his backpack down and ruffled through it. He opened a bag of PokeChow, and taking a handful of the dried food, spread it out in the clearing. "Wish I had a berry or 2 to chop up into pieces, would attract more Pokemon, but this will have to do." He retreated a good space away from the clearing, motioning Max to follow. "Now we wait, though it could take a while, considering a few other Pokemon that have already fled or seen us-"

"Dude," Max elbowed him, "Look...Is it supposed to be this easy?"

Will looked and saw, to his amazement, a Zigzagoon already munching on the PokeChow, not giving a care in the world. "Uhh...um, no, but..." Will scratched the back of his head in wonder.

"Better bring out Luna or just through a Pokeball, cause I may catch it soon." Max said, Swift on his shoulder looking eager for a battle, or the food.

"Ok fine!" Will brought out a standard Pokeball and readied to through it, but paused as Luna's snide comments went through his head. Shaking his head, _'Not this time!',_ he aimed at the Zigzagoon, and threw.

The Pokemon barely looked up from munching on the PokeChow as the Pokeball headed towards it and hit it on its head. A small flash and the Zigzagoon was dragged inside. Will watched as the ball shook several times before it stopped and the red light in the center dimmed. _'Wow, did that really work? That was almost too easy.' _Will got up and walked towards the remaining food and the Pokeball and picked his new Pokemon up.

"...So is it supposed to be that easy Will? Or are you showing off or something?" Max asked.

Will turned back to face him, Pokeball still in hand, "No...never seen a Pokemon at, seemingly, full health be captured so easily...Let's see here." Will pressed the Pokeball's button and released his newest team member. The Zigzagoon looked around, stared at its new trainer for a second, as if waiting for a command, before going to finish up the PokeChow. Feeling a bit awkward, Will knelt down to the munching Pokemon, "Umm, Zigzagoon? Hey...I'm your new trainer, Will, so..." He looked up to Max, shrugging is shoulders, looking for some advice.

Max returned the shrug, "Hey, this is new to me too."

Will looked back down to his Zigzagoon, who just finished up the rest of the PokeChow. It started to sniff around, and seeing no other food, sat down and stared up at Will. "Zig, goon."

_'Wait a second, did this Zigzagoon...?'_ "Zigzagoon, did you allow yourself to be captured because I had food?"

The Pokemon nodded, "Zig."

"Uhh, ok then. So your ok being a member of my team and all? As long as I feed you...?"

"Zig! Zigzagoon!" The Pokemon nodded again, and began to paw at Will's knee.

"Ok then." Will rummaged around in his backpack again, and brought out another handful of PokeChow. The Zigzagoon jumped up and began to eat out of Will's hand. As it did so, Will was able to get a closer look at his new Pokemon. He saw that the Zigzagoon was a male and about average size for most young Zigzagoon, despite not being common in Unova. "Ok, I need a name for you buddy...Since you love food and all, how about I call you Chow?"

The newly dubbed, 'Chow' nodded, but was still finishing up the rest of the food in Will's hand. As he began to finish up, Will brought out his Pokeball, "Ok buddy, don't want you to eat everything, do back inside." He returned Chow once he finished eating. Will got up and turned to Max, "Well, that was easier than I thought, now it's your turn."

Max shrugged, "Hey, maybe it will be as easy as it was for you." Both of them began to walk a ways to a different location before trying again. After finding a similar place, Max began to go through his backpack and pulled out, to Will's surprise, a single, large Oran berry.

"Seriously?! You had a berry the entire time?!"

As Max began to chop up the berry with his pocketknife, he turned to Will, "Hey, you never asked. You just brought out PokeChow, I thought in advance."

"You could have shared! You know how large berries are!"

"Hey, you had luck, maybe I need this to catch a Pokemon." Finished cutting up the berry into smaller pieces, Max scattered the pieces, walked back over to Will and crouched down, waiting.

Will sat down, took off his backpack, propped it up like a pillow, and laid back. "Well, good luck then, since you don't need my help." Will began to close his eyes for a quick nap.

A short time later, Will woke up from his doze by a shake from Max, "Hrr? *Yawn* Well, Max, do you have a-"

He went silent when he saw Max making frantic gestures, telling him to be quiet, and then pointed over to where he put the berry earlier. Will slowly looked over the tall grass patch where they were both hiding, and his jaw dropped a bit at the Pokemon he saw. _'No freaking way...'_

Will could instantly tell what Pokemon was eating the Oran berry pieces, even from behind. The Pokemon's blue fur, black paws, legs and ears instantly brought the Pokemon's name to mind. _'Damn...a Riolu?! You got to be kidding me! And Max called me lucky! I knew there were some around here, but I thought they were super rare, and further North!' _

Max joined in staring at the rare Pokemon, and turned to look at Will. He mouth, "What do I do?!"

Will glanced at Max before returning his gaze to the wild Riolu. As he looked at it for a few more seconds, he noticed some details. The Riolu was smaller than most of its kind, so either it was newly hatched, which wasn't very possible, or it was a runt. Will also noticed that the Pokemon was thin, he could almost see its ribs, and judging by the way it was stuffing itself with the berry pieces, it was probably starving. He turned to Max, and from the sad look on his face, he knew the state of the Riolu too. Will's mind began to race, _'Ok, it's obviously weak, so capturing it won't be too hard. The thing is, will it accept Max after he captures it? A lot of fighting types will only follow their trainers if they are caught during an honorable battle...but will this Riolu be ok with just being captured and being cared for?' _Other ideas went through Will's mind, but the result was always the same, have Max capture the Riolu for its own good.

Will turned to Max and began to whisper his plan, "Ok, Max, you need to capture that Riolu, for its own good. It's way to weak and malnourished. Just try to catch it with a Pokeball, like I did. If that doesn't work, have Swift land a few soft blows, and try again."

"I was thinking the same thing, right Swift?" The Taillow gave a small nod, even giving the Riolu a sad look. Max carefully brought up a Pokeball, taking careful aim at the Riolu, who was finishing up the rest of the Oran berry. Max squinted his eyes a bit, glanced at his Taillow, giving him a small nod, and threw the Pokeball. The Riolu's ears perked up a bit as Max began to throw the ball, and began to turn, but the Pokeball hit it before it could turn around. It was sucked inside with a brief flash of light, and the ball began to wiggle.

"Come on...come on, it's for your own good Riolu," Max mumbled, as the Pokeball gave a second wiggle, but the Pokeball broke open, and the Riolu popped out, not looking too happy.

"Riolu!" It shouted, turning around to face its foe. Despite appearing weak, the Pokemon bared its small teeth and held up its paws, looking to fight.

Will gave a small glance to Max, and saw that he was a bit worried. Both of them saw the slow breathing of the Riolu, and it was already looking tired. Max held his arm out, and Swift hopped onto his arm. "Swift, use Tackle, but not too hard."

The Taillow let out a small chirp as it rushed to the Riolu, who tried to dodge, but was too slow. Swift connected with his foe, who was thrown back a bit and landed on its stomach. The Riolu's eyes were shut with pain, but it slowly began to stand up. Max looked worried, and called Swift back to his shoulder. When his Taillow landed, Max made his way over to the struggling Riolu, with Will watching from behind. _'Does it not want to be captured? Does this Riolu still want an honorable battle, despite how weak it is?' _Will thought, as he looked on.

Max crouched down, a Pokeball in his pocket just in case, but he seemed more concerned for the wild Pokemon's health. "Shh there. You don't need to fight, I want to help you. It's ok-Woah!" Max jumped back a bit as the Riolu swung at him, growling. Swift gave an angry chirp and jumped in front of his trainer, but Max grabbed his Pokemon and backed up. "Woah! No, we are not going to fight with the shape your in, Riolu!" But the Riolu continued to glare at Max and Swift, paws raised. Max sighed and shook his head, "Hold on a sec Swift, I'll be fine, stay." He returned his Taillow to his Pokeball, and carefully tossed it behind him, where Will caught it.

_'Be careful Max,' _Will thought, but continued to look on as Max crouched down, so that he was almost face to face with the Riolu.

"Listen to me Riolu, I, am, not, going, to, fight, you." Max carefully said. The Riolu met Max's gaze, but continued its labored breathing and keeping its paws raised. Suddenly, the wild Pokemon swung again at Max, but he blocked it with his arm. He then grabbed the Riolu's arm, and the Pokemon began to struggle in his grip. As the Riolu gave out angry cries and swinging wildly, Max carefully held onto the Pokemon's arm, taking a few hits in the process. Soon, the Riolu, began to slow, its breathing becoming even heavier, before stopping completely. Max then gently laid the Riolu against one of his arms, brought the Pokeball out with the other, and gently bumped it against the Pokemon's head. The Riolu was again sucked in with a flash of light, and the Pokeball didn't even shake once as the light dimmed in the center, signalling a successful capture.

Max turned to Will, "Wow...that was something."

Will walked up next to him, "Great job handling that, let's hope we can get some help for it. We can probably try and take it to the Center back in Aspertia tomorrow," he said, looking up at the now orange-streaked sky, "Let's just do what we can for now."

Max nodded, "Yeah, might as well get some food out and just camp here for tonight." Both of the trainers brought out food, bowls, and other supplies for the nigh, setting up a small campsite in the clearing where they met the Riolu. As they were finishing up, Max turned to Will, "So, you know what to do here? It's going to be a lot of trouble if this Riolu doesn't want our help."

Thinking for a moment, Will brought out both of his Pokeballs, Max following suit. He opened Chow's, but paused as he held Luna's, before finally letting her out.

A flash of light later, the Zoroark shook her head and looked around, resting her gaze on Max. "Hm, so your the other trainer Will was talking about?"

Max stared at her for a second, "This feels weirder than I thought it would be."

Luna gave her ponytail mane a flip, "First time hearing telepathy in the flesh? Heh, never gets old, so what's up Will? Am I finally going to battle, this Zigzagoon, Taillow? Well, what?"

"Actually Luna, we need your help for something. First off though, this is Chow, he's the newest member of our team-"

"Wait, you caught him? Without my help?" Luna interjected, met with a nod from Will, "Really? Did this guy's Taillow battle for me, cause if so-"

"No Luna, I just threw a Pokeball and caught him." Will said, gesturing to Chow, who was already eating, "Now listen, we need your help with something. We found a weak and injured Riolu that needs help. Max caught it, and we need your help translating-"

Luna raised her paw, "Stop. You caught a Zigzagoon, and he caught a Riolu? Unbelievable," she mumbled, before continuing, "And what's this about translating? I'm a fighter!"

"Yes, but we need your telepathy to help us talk with the Riolu. So help us out."

Luna raised her arms and dropped them, "Fine! Bring it out." Max took the Riolu's Pokeball, which was beginning shake, and released the Pokemon. The Riolu shakily stood up, taking in its surroundings, before turning to Max and beginning to growl and yip at him angrily. "Wow, you weren't kidding Will, she really is weak...and has quite a dirty muzzle too."

"So she's a girl?" Max asked, "What's she saying?"

Luna glanced up at him, "You sure you want me to translate 'exactly' what she's saying?" Max gave a shrug. "Whatever, anyways. This Riolu is angry that you caught her without 'an honorable battle' as she puts it. She doesn't want to be with a trainer, saying she's been fine on her own, and she wants you to release her immediately. That's pretty much it, minus the death threats and cursing, which I'm surprised she knows so much of."

"Well that's a lie if I ever heard one," Max said, before kneeling down to face the Riolu again. Luna began to step forward, but Will put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. "Listen Riolu, you are not in any healthy condition. You are starving, injured, and probably much more. I want to help you, so I'll make you a deal." The Riolu's eyes narrowed, but she crossed her paws and listened, "You are going to stay with me for a day or 2, get some food in your stomach, some rest, and heal up. Depending on how you feel after all that, you can either stay with me, or I'll release you, deal?" He stuck out his hand.

The Riolu seemed to think, before shaking Max's hand a bit roughly. "Ok! Now, there-" But the Riolu already turned and began to stuff herself with PokeChow from one of the bowls. "Alright then..." He turned to Will and gave a shrug.

Will nodded, "Nice deal. I'm sure she'll enjoy the help sooner or later. Thanks for the help Luna-" he said, turning to his Pokemon, but she had already grabbed a bowl of food and sat herself in the woods to eat, away from the group. "Ok then..."

Max walked up beside him, "Got problems of your own?"

"Yeah," Will said, "I know she's hiding something, why she left or why her trainer released her. Luna just seems to either be sarcastic and mocking, or just push others away most of the time."

"Try talking to her, like I did with Riolu."

"Bit harder to do that with a Dark fox Pokemon almost as tall as you than with a small Riolu. Besides, I've tried talking with her with her when we met, she didn't tell me much."

"Try again, she's probably going to be your team leader anyways. You'll need a good bond with her so you both can do well."

"Whatever," Will said, preparing a sleeping bag from his backpack, "I'll try tomorrow. Maybe we can get some training in too. I'm going to leave my Pokemon out for the night, think the air will be nice for them. You?"

"I'll leave Swift out, but I think Riolu will be a bit better resting in her Pokeball. For her own safety and such. Plus, she may try to run or do something while I sleep."

"Alright then," Will said as he got into his sleeping bag for the night, using his backpack as a pillow. He glanced to Chow, or was curled up around his foodbowl, and Luna, who was still eating in the woods, back to him, staring into the darkness of the woods. _'What's going through your head Luna? What are you hiding?'_ Squirming in his sleeping bag, he laid back and closed his eyes. "Night Chow, night Max...Night Luna."

"Night Will," he heard Max respond with, a small, "Zig," from Chow, but silence from Luna. Thinking over what to do tomorrow, Will began to drift off to sleep.

**Luna**

She stared into her empty foodbowl, putting it to one side as she stared into the darkness of the woods. _'So I'm back on this journey...but is this right?' _Luna continued to ponder as she heard Will say night to everyone. She paused as she heard him say it to her, thoughts running through her head. A few seconds later, Luna whispered softly to herself, "Night...Nick..."

* * *

><p><strong>Ok! Another chapter done! Sorry for such a long wait, but been having trouble writing recently. Going back to college soon, so getting ready for that. It's also hard to write and think up details when your on meds for getting your wisdom teeth out...Ow...Anyways, hope you are still enjoying the story! I'll try to get a chapter out or 2 before I'll start college as well. Thanks for the comments, and happy reading!<br>**


	5. Update, Not a Real Chapter

**Hey readers. Sorry it has been so long, but my outside life and college work has been keeping me busy. This is an update to talk about the future of The Dark Aura.**

**Don't worry! I'm not discontinuing it! This is my first real story ever, and I would never abandon it. However, I am having a harder time trying to fill in details and other parts to the chapters I am imagining up. I want to give you guys the story you deserve to read, even though I'm still working on my writing skills.**

**Now for the future of Will and Luna. I hate seeing this as much as any other reader, especially with my favorite fanfictions I'm reading at the moment, but I'm going to put The Dark Aura on hold.**

**And now for some good news! Though I won't be posting for a while, I will still be working on The Dark Aura in my spare time. I will add bits and pieces every once in a while, making up whole chapters at certain points. By doing this, I hope to get together a few whole chapters, and when I get a huge break or just wait for winter break, I will look them over, and post a chapter a day. I also plan to be writing some smaller, 1-chapter fanfictions for holidays and stuff.**

**I'm sorry to be putting the Dark Aura on hold, I hate seeing this message as much as you guys, being a fan of fanfiction myself. I will do my best to work on the story a little at a time, and then release everything I wrote up to that point during a break in college. Again, I'm sorry, and I wish you the best. Thanks readers, peace.**


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